Powder River Country

A view of the Powder River in northern Wyoming

The Powder River Country is the Powder River Basin area of the Great Plains in northeastern Wyoming, United States. The area is loosely defined as that between the Bighorn Mountains and the Black Hills, in the upper drainage areas of the Powder, Tongue, and Little Bighorn rivers.

During the late 1860s, the area was the scene of Red Cloud's War, fought between the Lakota peoples and the United States. The Lakota victory in the war resulted in the continuation of their control of the area for the next decade.

After control of the area fell to the U.S. government in the 1870s following the end of the Great Sioux War of 1876–77, the area was opened to white settlement for homesteading. In 1892, the area was the scene of the Johnson County War.

In the early 20th century, the discovery of oil in the area led to the development of the area's oil fields. Coal is also mined.

State of Wyoming
Cheyenne (capital)
Topics	Bibliography Fauna Governors Delegations Geography Government History People Visitor attractions State symbols Radio stations
Society	Culture Crime Demographics Economy Education Politics
Regions	Black Hills Grand Teton Great Basin Powder River Country Red Desert Yellowstone
Cities	Buffalo Casper Cheyenne Cody Douglas Evanston Gillette Green River Jackson Lander Laramie Powell Rawlins Riverton Rock Springs Sheridan Torrington Worland
Counties	Albany Big Horn Campbell Carbon Converse Crook Fremont Goshen Hot Springs Johnson Laramie Lincoln Natrona Niobrara Park Platte Sheridan Sublette Sweetwater Teton Uinta Washakie Weston

Coordinates: 44°30′N 105°30′W / 44.500°N 105.500°W / 44.500; -105.500